Bolognese Sauce (Slow-Simmered Italian Meat Sauce)

What Makes This Recipe Work

Cooking the milk into the meat first tenderizes it, and reducing the wine before adding tomatoes removes the alcohol edge while keeping its acidity in balance. Simmering partially uncovered for 2 to 3 hours concentrates the sauce so it coats pasta instead of pooling on the plate.

Ingredients for Bolognese Sauce (Slow

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, 1 carrot, and 1 celery stalk, all finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (85% lean)
• 1/2 lb (225 g) ground pork
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine (or extra beef broth)
• 1 (28 oz / 795 g) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
• 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, and kosher salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make Bolognese Sauce (Slow

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and pork, and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned with no pink left and the bottom of the pot has browned bits, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Pour in the milk, bring to a simmer, and cook until it is fully absorbed, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add the wine, simmer until it too is absorbed, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.
7. Bring to a bare simmer, partially cover, and cook 2 to 3 hours on low heat, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until the sauce is thick, glossy, and deep red.
8. Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then serve over pasta or use it as the sauce layer in lasagna.

Tips for the Best Bolognese Sauce (Slow

• Finely dice the soffritto vegetables; large chunks stay noticeable in the finished sauce, while a fine dice melts into the background.
• Do not rush the milk and wine steps. Each addition should be almost fully absorbed before the next goes in.
• Stir every 20 minutes and leave the lid ajar. A tight lid steers the sauce toward stewed rather than concentrated.
• Freeze the sauce flat in freezer bags in 2-cup portions; it keeps up to 3 months and thaws quickly in a pot.

Variations and Substitutions

• White wine-free version: use an extra cup of beef broth in place of the wine and add 1 tsp red wine vinegar at the end for brightness.
• Slow cooker method: complete the stovetop browning and liquid steps, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• Use this sauce as the meat layer in lasagna, or spoon it over lasagna with bechamel for the full Italian treatment.
• Vegetable-forward batch: stir in finely diced zucchini or mushrooms with the soffritto, or build the vegetable lasagna version with this sauce base.

How to Store and Reheat

• Cool the sauce completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days; the flavor improves on the second day.
• Freeze in 2-cup portions for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm gently on the stove with a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened.

Bolognese Sauce (Slow FAQ